What we search for in fiction is not so much reality, but the epiphany of truth.

Poor reading, like poor writing, is imposing what you already know on texts. You should go into reading to discover, not to reaffirm what you know.

If I turned towards books, it was because they were the only sanctuary I knew, one I needed in order to survive, to protect some aspect of myself that was now in constant retreat.

None of us can avoid being contaminated by the world's evils; it's all a matter of what attitude you take towards them.

There is little consolation in the fact that millions of people are unhappier than we are. Why should other people's misery make us happier or more content?

Every culture has something to be ashamed of, but every culture also has the right to change, to challenge negative traditions, and create to new ones.

Those in the west who dismiss the repressiveness of laws against women in countries like Iran, no matter how benign their intentions, present a condescending view not just of the religion but also of women living in Muslim majority countries, as if the desire for choice and happiness is the monopoly of women in the west.